Peer-to-peer network system with manageability

Abstract

A peer-to-peer network system provides at least one peer with information for configuration of a peer-to-peer network to optimize the configuration of the peer-to-peer network by using at least one of information about a status of the at least one peer, information about a status of an underlying network and information about a user in respect of services.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A peer-to-peer network system with manageability, comprising:
 at least one peer; and 
 an overlay management server configured to manage at least one peer-to-peer network and at least one supporting resource including a cache server in an overlay network, 
 wherein the overlay management server is further configured to:
 generate configuration information for configuration of the peer-to-peer network; 
 provide the configuration information to the at least one supporting resource; 
 manage resource information of the cache server for the configuration of the peer-to-peer network; 
 reserve the at least one supporting resource with respect to the cache server based on the resource information for a peer; and 
 based on the reservation, request by a requesting peer the cache server to join the peer-to-peer network on behalf of the requesting peer lacking sufficient resources in order to download or distribute content in place of the requesting peer, 
 wherein the peer-to-peer network system provides the at least one peer with information for configuration of the peer-to-peer network to optimize the configuration of the peer-to-peer network by using at least one of information about a status of the at least one peer, information about a status of an underlying network, and information about a user in respect of a service, and 
 wherein the peer-to-peer network system allows the service provider to stably provide the service to the at least one peer. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The peer-to-peer network system of  claim 1 , wherein the cache server is configured to:
 based on the reservation of the at least one supporting resource by the requesting peer, manage virtual peer profile information and service policy information corresponding to at least one of service provision and service termination to operate as a peer in the peer-to-peer network on behalf of the requesting peer; and 
 perform as a proxy to download or distribute content shared in the peer-to-peer network on behalf of the requesting peer. 
 
     
     
       3. The peer-to-peer network system of  claim 1 , wherein the information about the status of the at least one peer includes at least one of maximum upload/download capacity configuration, load status of the at least one peer, storage status of the at least one peer, behavior policy of the at least one peer, and maximum number of peer connections.